


Between You and Me

by CaptainJimothyCarter



Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [30]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Abusive Parent, Aunt Peggy Carter, BAMF Peggy Carter, Bad Parent Howard Stark, Dead Daniel Sousa mentioned, Dickwad Howard Stark, Drabble, I hate it just because I refuse to believe Peggy allowed it to get this bad, Not Howard Stark Friendly, Not how I normally write him but someone asked SO, Protective Peggy Carter, SO, Teenage Tony Stark, alcoholic, director peggy carter, not edited well, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26908975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJimothyCarter/pseuds/CaptainJimothyCarter
Summary: Peggy has had suspicion how bad of a person Howard Stark truly is but she's chucked it up to stress ever since Maria had died. She's been too focused on her job and running SHIELD and barely there for her godson to focus too much on Howard. When it all buds to a head, she's forced to come to terms that Howard Stark is truly a terrible person who forgets promises made for profit.
Relationships: Peggy Carter & Howard Stark, Peggy Carter & Howard Stark & Tony Stark, Peggy Carter & Tony Stark
Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952281
Comments: 1
Kudos: 48





	Between You and Me

**Author's Note:**

> This hurts to write because Peggy wouldn't allow it to get this bad but when the muse calls...

Of course, the one time she needed the bastard, he was nowhere around. All she needed was his review and signature on the final projects to open up a well-needed branch of S.H.EI.L.D and Howard had disappeared God knows where. He wasn’t home or if he was – he was well ignoring her by this point.

Not that she hasn’t called his phone fifteen times in the last half hour. The last she wanted to do was make the extensive drive to the Stark Manor. Not that she didn’t enjoy the Manor or seeing Jarvis again or even her godson, but she was simply tired after a long day and had looked forward to soaking in a hot tub.

The more she delayed laying in a hot tub, the antsier she got about having to drive an hour out of the way thanks to Howard disappearing from his office.

Sighing heavily, Peggy hoisted herself out of the car and leaned onto her good side as she walked towards the marble steps. She was greeted to a half-opened door and the sight of a train wreck past the entrance hall.

A black sludge was all over the carpet, staining the material, the walls, and oil-coated the bottom of her shoes, causing Peggy to slip and have to catch herself on the wall. She cursed under her breath as she followed the path of this mayhem.

Whatever had happened, it wasn’t good because she could hear Howard’s strained voice yelling already. Really, that man had quite a temper on him.

_“-idea of what you’ve done! You’re being selfish!”_

_“Selfish? Me?! You’re the peek preview of selfishness! Sending your only son off to private school for three years because you didn’t want anything to do with me!”_ There was a sound of glass breaking and her godson cursing.

_“Control that goddamn thing. Why in the hell is it even in here?! I thought I told you –“_

_“I thought you told me you’d be a better parent his mom died but your sixth scotch of the day says otherwise.”_

The sound of skin-hitting skin and heavy glass shattering as Peggy bursting through the office door, barely catching her godson as he stumbled back. Howard stood in front of them, his hand still raised, the bottle of scotch now broken against the wall, and dripping the expensive liquid onto the hard floor.

Tony was already a good foot taller than her in his linky stage, but that didn’t stop Peggy from grasping his shoulders like he was still a child and preventing him from leaving.

“Let me see,” she demanded, tilting his head up with her fingertips like he was a child and had gotten into his first fight. Her eyes hardened at the sight of the bruise already coming in, Tony’s cheek flushed a shade of red.

“What’s this about, Howard?” She held onto his arm, preventing Tony from leaving despite how he wanted to. She could feel him tugging. “Howard!”

The man looked stunned like he was surprised he’d did such a thing. Slap his own son. He looked from Tony to Peggy, not one bit surprised she was here.

“This doesn’t concern you, Pegs,” he grumbled, waving his hand towards Peggy, finally regaining himself and sitting back behind the heavy oak desk. “Whatever you’re here for, just leave, I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Oh, you will not just do it tomorrow. You’re telling me what the hell is wrong and happened here – enough to hit my godson!”

“Your godson? About the only use he’s got,” Howard mumbled, rolling his eyes. “How’s that leg, Pegs? Still aching yah after you tore your tendon? How’s dear ole Sousa? Still limping around?”

He was drunk and trying to raise her to fight. To get angry. The injury had happened on his watch and Howard had never quite let go of that guilt. She wasn’t out of commission just yet, but the field missions the Director allowed herself on had dropped to zilch.

“Sousa died six years ago and you know it,” she spat, still holding tightly to Tony’s arm. “Why did you slap Tony?”

The answer came in form of something…well, robotic and ugly running between her legs. It looked like a demented baby doll, just minus anything baby doll quality and leaking oil as it ran down the hall. She looked up at Tony who was carefully avoiding her eyes and watched him shrug.

“That thing,” Howard grumbled, capturing her attention. “Destroyed the house and that boy won't’ take responsibility for it. Maria was too soft on him in my opinion. Piece of crap can’t even do-”

“Shut it,” Tony snarled, gritting his teeth and glaring at Howard. “Why don’t you tell her the real reason you’re so piss-ass drunk all the time? The real reason mom died? So she didn’t have to put up with you! Go on, Howard, tell her!”

Howard looked like he was getting ready to punch both of them this time, Peggy unconsciously putting herself between him and Tony. “Shut up.”

“Shut up? Why? So Auntie doesn’t know what a piece of shit you are? So she doesn’t know what the hell you’ve done? Tell her! Or I’m going to – tell her before I do.”

When Howard stood up, throwing the chair back, Peggy shoved Tony to the side and _glared_ at Howard. She took three steps forward and he had enough sense to fall back against the wall, looking green. For one second she thought he was going to vomit up all that expensive amber liquid before swallowing it down.

“I sunk the company.”

“You what?” Peggy breathed, looking from him to Tony for an explanation. “What?!”

“The _great_ Howard Stark, CEO of Stark Industries sunk the company. All that support for your job, Auntie, those deals you depended on, the-the stability, the backup, your business partner ruined. All for his own selfish need! He-he’s only barely surviving from a-a business partner buying it out and taking control.”

Peggy’s breath was caught in her throat. Stark Industries was sunk? Done for? What did this mean for SHIELD? Of course, SHIELD was now at a standpoint where she could run and handle things without Howard’s involvement but _still,_ there was that what if…

“What did you do, Howard?” Peggy’s voice was hard, leaving no room for argument.

“I sent Tony away. He was a-a burden. Maria was dying. Didn’t care. Didn’t want the boy around. Just wanted to focus on…stuff. Focus on-on…” He looked sick again and was digging around in his desk before slapping several sheets of folded paper onto the desk.

Peggy’s fingers snatched it up before Tony could pull it away. A gasp escaped her lips as she read over the paperwork and Tony read over her shoulder.

It was selfish, what she did next, the fury, the anger that filled her. She didn’t even know what she was doing until Howard was knocked against the wall, his nose bleeding from her fist.

“You made a promise to me in 1946 – we made a promise to Steve! To Erksine! And you turned your back for profit?!”

“Not only that – he got angry cause I found his documents on recent travels,” Tony continued, sounding smug. “He let mom _die_ so he could focus on finding Captain Rogers.”

She wanted to cry, to scream, to attack Howard until she felt better but there would be no use for it. “I miss Steve,” she told Howard, feeling Tony’s eyes on her. “I miss him more than you understand but you sacrificing your wife’s, Anthony’s mother for this obsession, Steve would be disappointed in you. Perhaps even hate you. He would not want that. You’re no longer the man Steven remembers and neither do I. I have held too much onto memories and that proves – this proves that you’re too lost to help.”

She turned back to Anthony, nursing the swollen hand to her chest. “You don’t have to stay here. My door is always open for you. I think Mr. Sprinkles has missed you.”

Tony’s lips twitched at her-his old kitten missing him. “I missed him too.” He didn’t even look back at Howard as they left, closing the door behind them. He paused in the entrance hall to hug Peggy tightly to his chest, not knowing what to say.

“Captain Rogers…he wouldn’t have wanted this,” he finally whispered as they parted. “But he’d be proud of you, Auntie. I just know it.”


End file.
